Across the freight forwarding industry, businesses are recognizing that to stay competitive and better serve their customers, they can no longer rely on traditional, paper-based systems. Old systems and manual processes are now being replaced by cloud-based platforms that offer enhanced security, visibility, and financial viability.
This was the realization for Taiwanese freight forwarder, World-Top Logistics (WTO Logistics). Having operated on a paper-based model for more than 30 years, they knew they needed a single, cloud-based platform that would centralize and streamline their logistics operations.
Mr Arthur Chang, WTO Logistics’ Chief Marketing Officer heads up the business and was the driving force behind their move towards a paperless environment. Mr Chang took over operations from his mother who founded the business, and ever since, he’s been passionate about finding ways to improve their processes and take their operations to the next level.
After learning how CargoWise transformed operations for one of their customers, Mr Chang made the decision to roll out the platform across WTO Logistics in October 2020.
A move to more paperless trade drives a more productive working environment
“A lot of factories, shippers and trading companies would give us invoices on real paper, so we needed to find a storage room which was another expense for our company.
“We had a lot of paperwork in the past, but from the first day using CargoWise, we were no longer a paper-run company. Now, everything is digital, and we can just input data into the system and we know that it is correct,” he says.
Ms Annie Chang, WTO Logistics’ Chief Financial Officer adds that since implementing CargoWise, they’ve completely transformed their processes and are now seeing major productivity and efficiency gains.
“We were using messengers to transport paper files to and from customers, but if there was bad weather then the paper would be stained and damaged. Now with CargoWise, all of that paper is stored on the system, and we no longer need to physically store files in the office.
With all of their important files now stored on a single, centralized system, the business has seen a significant reduction in paper usage, improved efficiencies and collaboration between their people and teams, reduced physical storage space and cost savings across the board.
“Sometimes customers will give us a call to get an update on their shipment and they don’t want to wait. Before, we had to search in a lot of places to find the answers, but now I just click a button and it takes me about 20 seconds. So, the customer is happy, because our feedback is very fast, and very accurate,”, says Mr Chang.
Increased security and control on a cloud-based system
Digitizing their records also means that sensitive data is kept safe, and that the risk of theft, accidental loss from human error or damage is significantly reduced – giving their customers peace of mind.
“With all our data in the cloud, we no longer have to worry about security issues. This is important for us, because as more of our customers go public, they care more about the security of their documents and invoices,” explains Mr Chang.
“I find that I have more control of the financial side now that I don't have to gather all the information from different departments and wait for them to respond. All the documents are now sent via email and with CargoWise, I can easily export all reports and see the volume of shipments and the different consignees, it only takes me one click to get the whole report,” adds Ms Chang.
A global platform for a global industry
Working from a single, global database also means simplified and improved integration and communication between partners, customers, suppliers, and agents. This means that WTO Logistics is well-positioned to expand their offerings into new markets and scale their business, explains Ms Chang.
“Using CargoWise will allow me to easily connect with agents and partners in more regions, since we use the same software. If they need any details or reports, I can send it to them, and it will look exactly the same as the reports they’re familiar with. This will give us more opportunities to expand our services and grow relationships.”
Having experienced first-hand how implementing a single system has significantly improved both the customer experience and their operations, Mr Chang shares that they plan to roll out CargoWise to their Shanghai and Guangzhou branches later this year, and to their Hong Kong branch in 2024.
“In the future, I want to use CargoWise to help us to expand widely and to continue serving our customers and showing them that we can do things differently.”
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